University of Cologne succeeds in 2030 Female Professors Programme

Federal and regional funding will enable start-up financing for up to three highly-qualified women in newly-appointed positions at W2 or W3 level, which are comparable with associate and full professorships respectively / Cologne will be one of twelve universities to be additionally titled a “Pro-Gender Equality University” and will thus be able to apply for a further post-doctoral position

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The University of Cologne is one of a number of universities to have been positively evaluated in the second tendering round of the 2030 Female Professors . From 67 submitted concepts for gender equality, an external and independent assessment panel of the Joint Science Conference (GWK) has selected 56 universities for funding within the programme. Their proposals in terms of gender-political aims, structures and measures were found to be convincing. The 56 selected universities are now entitled to file requests by 30 September 2026 for up to three lots of start-up financing for the new appointment of women to tenured first-time positions in W2 or W3 professorships.

Cologne is also one of twelve universities to be selected for funding whose gender equality concepts have been considered particularly effective and which, in addition, have been awarded the title of “Pro-Gender Equality University”. This award will enable the funding of a further position for a female scholar or scientist in the post-doctoral phase, which should lead to a permanent professorship.

The University of Cologne’s gender equality concept continues to focus on increasing the number of female professors. Alongside further developing gender-sensitive appointment proceedings and career paths and promoting mentoring and post-doctoral programmes for international mobility, there will be a further underpinning of decentralized gender equality structures at the Faculty level and an increased focus on intersectional gender equality aspects.

Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee, Rector of the University of Cologne, commented: “Gender parity among professors is a key equality objective for our university. But beyond this, research findings are also showing that diversity makes companies and institutions more innovative and efficient. So we are very happy that our efforts to date have been recognized and that we will be receiving funding to create permanent positions for excellent women scholars and scientists.”

Judith Arnau, Central Gender Equality Officer at the university, added: “The renewed success in the female professors programme and the additional recognition of the university as a ‘Pro-Gender Equality University’ confirms the value of the work we’ve done and of our gender equality strategy. Above all though, the additional funding we have obtained as a result of the programme will give us significant scope to further strengthen our gender equality work through innovative measures.”

The 2030 Female Professors Programme was agreed upon by the GWK (Joint Science Conference) in November 2022. It has continued to build upon the three successful programme phases since 2008 and has now been substantially strengthened in terms of its content. The funding programme aims to dynamically increase the number of female professors, driving towards parity, to promote female scholars and scientists on their paths to obtaining tenured professorships and retain them within academia, and to more firmly anchor the equality of women and men within university structures. The German government and the federal states are providing the 2030 Female Professors Programme with total funding in the amount of 320 million euros over a period of eight years in this funding period.

Media Contact:

Judith Arnau

University of Cologne - Central Gender Equality Officer

+49 221 470 4830

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